The World's Best Tree-House Hotels Including A New Eco-Resort In Panama

Jim Dobson
, ContributorTraveling the world in search of amazing People, Places and ThingsOpinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Baca Architects

biku Treehouse Retreat in Panama

The fascination with treehouses around the world has inspired some of the most fascinating and unusual architectural creations. From a UFO to a Bird's Nest, or a 727 airplane to more modern cubist structures, resort developers are creating unique offerings for travelers.

Baca Architects has designed a cocoa pod-shaped treehouse for an upcoming eco-hotel located on a secluded Panama island, only accessible by boat far away from the crowds of tourists. The UK based designers were asked to design the treehouse as well as a larger residence for the Bíku Treehouse Retreat on the Bocas del Toro archipelago.

The chain of islands in the Caribbean is known for their beautiful natural forests filled with mangroves and a verdant habitat for wildlife. The treehouse’s design will take advantage of the setting through a panoramic opening at one side of its rounded form, splitting it in two like a cocoa pod. The forms are inspired by cocoa pods and other seed structures found in the rainforests of Panama.

The young owners are Ariel Stephenson and Zabrina Shield. Ariel is Panamanian, from Bocas del Toro and Zabrina is British. Ariel has lived outside of Panama since he was 17 and has been living in the UK for more than 15 years. He has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years at some of the top hotels in London including The Soho, Covent and ACE Hotel. Zabrina is a nature and culture lover with a passion for Latin America.

Baca Architects

Master plan of the biku Treehouse Retreat in Panama

Bamboo was picked as the primary material for the 270 square foot treehouse, due to abundance in Panama and to make use of local construction knowledge. To reduce the need for construction vehicles on site, parts of the structure will be prefabricated and assembled on the island. This also means the structure can be deconstructed without leaving permanent traces on the site. A spiral staircase wrapping the trunk of the tree, as well as the treehouse’s structure, will all be made from bamboo.

Baca is known for floating and flood-resistant architecture to consider how tropical rainfall and humidity might affect the design, shaping the treehouse to redirect rainwater and offer ventilation. The open design of the treehouse provides maximum exposure to the tropical jungle and distant views of the Caribbean Sea, while at the same time closed for security and mosquito protection.

Visitors will be welcomed at the water’s edge by the main lodge. The retreat is only accessible by boat. While the patterns are designed in London, the lodge and treehouses are constructed from materials sourced on-site or locally and we will be working with a local design team as well as local labor.

Baca Architects

Interior rendering of the biku Treehouse in Panama.

The treehouses will feature outdoor showers, shaded balconies, sleeping areas and staircases that spiral around the tree trunk. The developers also want each treehouse pod to be able to be reached by a hanging walkway. The retreat will offer snorkeling and canoeing expeditions, treetop adventures and chocolate making activities. Key design considerations include deep overhanging for sun-protection, cross-ventilation, as well as protection from tropical rain-storms.

The forms are inspired by cocoa pods and other seed structures found in the rainforests of Panama. Bamboo’s flexibility as a construction material is utilized in numerous ways, including walls and roofing.

I spoke with Ariel and Zabrina about their development and plans for the future.

Why did you choose this particular area and what inspired you to create treehouses?

ARIEL: "A large amount of investment has flooded into Bocas in the past 20 years or so, and with that, a tourism boom. “I’m proud that so many people want to visit the beautiful islands where I come from – but I also hope that we are able to protect, preserve and share the colorful community, culture, and nature I grew up with – including the sloths. For the Bocas community, in particular, we want to demonstrate that the land can be used in a sustainable and innovative way – that protects, preserves and shares what our small part of the world has been gifted with. The key is education and creating an opportunity for sustainable income.”

ZABRINA: “We chose this area as Ariel is from Bocas del Toro. He grew up on the main island - Isla Colón - as well as the port town of Almirante. A number of his family still live in Bocas del Toro, today - so it was a natural choice. We want to create something different, something unique and something that will inspire the local community as well as our guests to think big. We also want something that will really allow our guests to have an intimate connection with nature but also retain some of their home comforts. A lot of the real treats of Bocas are found in the trees - from the cacao to the sloths - so what better way to truly experience Bocas than from the treetops? We watch a lot of design programmes, from Grand Designs and George Clarke's Amazing Spaces to Treehouse Masters. Our treehouse idea comes from this new way of thinking about space, of people - ourselves included - wanting to experience space and places in a different way - it's all about the experience.”

biku

Retreat owners Zabrina Shield, Ariel Stephenson with his Uncle Alonso and one of the local guides from Oreba

Are the renderings that going to be the actual designs for the resort?

ARIEL: "We are aiming to develop the treehouses in stages, with the potential that at the second development stage, the treehouse pods will be a different design, much in the same vein as Treehotel in Sweden."

Tell me about when you will start the project or are you waiting for crowdsourcing to complete?

ZABRINA: "As we’ll be raising the capital for the treehouse build from crowdfunding – biku will be unique in being funded by the community for the community. We will reinvest in the community, including in the development and preservation of the environment, the economy, the local community, and culture. We see business education as a top priority – to help people develop the tools to create a sustainable income for themselves and the ability to teach that to their children and future generations. We're aiming to launch the crowdfunding in Spring next year - so watch this space. We aim to start development towards the end of next year, opening the retreat Autumn 2019 - enabling us to hit Panama's high season, which runs from mid-November-December.

Baca Architects

Rendering of the main lodge at biku Treehouse Retreat

Tell me about the Chocolate farm idea and how you plan to integrate into the resort.

ARIEL: "Bocas del Toro is the cacao growing region of Panama - and Panama chocolate is making a move onto the world stage. There are a number of small chocolate farms in the region and the land on which bíku will be developed includes a cacao plantation. Guests will be able to learn about cacao cultivation and chocolate making, including the fermentation, drying and roasting processes. We want to share with our guests up close the chocolate making process. They will be able to take home their own 'single estate' hand-made bar. Additionally, cacao in a number of forms will feature heavily in our restaurant meals."

Provide more about what visitors can expect when they stay at the lodge.

ZABRINA: "The retreat will initially comprise the main lodge (including guest rooms), three biodomes and three treehouses - which will be interconnected with swing bridges and platforms. We hope to grow to eight treehouses in total over a longer period. Paradise, white sand beaches are a short boat ride away, with the retreat island bordered by beautiful mangrove channels that guests will be able to kayak through - taking in the beautiful marine life through the crystal clear waters. Guests will also frequently share the waters with passing dolphins who feed, relax and play in the waters surrounding the bíku island."

ARIEL: "There will be a real focus on design throughout the retreat, with small hideaways and chillout areas dotted throughout the tropical forest. Pre-booked spa treatments, such as massages, as well as yoga classes will be on offer to guests. Additional features at the resort will include; Bio Domes: geodesic dome structures offering guests a night in the canopy but more intimate than the treehouses (they will sleep a maximum of two whereas the treehouses can sleep up to four). They also offer a lower price point. The biodomes will be perched on platforms, giving guests views out across the islands. As self-assembly pods, the biodomes offer that touch of luxury with minimal environmental impact as they are free-standing structures."